Closure construction for washing machines



Jan. 11, 1938. v aw. JOHNSON CLOSURE CONSTRUCTION FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Sept. 11, 1955 INVENTOR QT B GEORGE W.\JOHNSON ATTORN Y %/a Patented Jan. 11, 1938 NIT-ED otospan cons'rnpo'rion roa wasno MACES George W. Johnson, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The American lLaundi-y Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, a corporation of Uhio Application September 11,1935, Serial No. more 8 Claims,

the drum and casing should be so arranged that the goods or fabric being treated may be readily introduced into and removed from the inner drum. It is also important that the closure for the drum and the closure for the casing should make a tight engaging fit with the walls sur-' rounding the respective openings so as to prevent the cleaning or treating fluid from escaping from the casing and the goods or fabric being treated from being caught in crevices or openings between the inner closure and the drum.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an improved washing machine or fabric treating vessel having an outer casing and an inner rotatable drum in which the closures for the casing and the drum are so arranged that the goods may be readily introduced into and removed from the drum at desired intervals.

, Another object of my invention is to provide an improved washing machine having an, outer stationary casing and an inner rotatable drum in which the door for the inner drum is pivotally mounted upon the outer casing in such a manner that it maybe swung to open and closed position through the opening in the outer casing.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved door construction for washing machines having an outer stationary casing and an inner rotatable drum in which the closure for the inner drum is yieldingly and rotatably mounted with respect to the outer casing.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved door construction for washing machines having an inner rotatable drum and an outer casing in which means associated with the closure for the casing serves to maintain the closure for the drum in a tight engaging fit with walls of the rotatable drum.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. l is a cross-sectional view of my improved washing machine taken on the line l-i of Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is an end elevatlonal view, the door for the casing being partially broken away to show the manner in which the inner closure is connected to the casing; and,

(Ell. 68-18) Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

As illustrated in the drawing my improved washing machine or work treating device comprises an outer casing l and an inner rotatable drum 2. The outer casing is provided at one end with abearing 3 and at the opposite end with an opening t which is surrounded by an annular flange orrim 5. The drum 2 is supported within the casing i by means of a shaft 6 which is affixed to the drum and extends through the bearing 3. A suitable gear or pulley, not shown, may be ariixed to the shaft for rotating the inner drum.

Opposite the shaft 6 and substantially concentric therewith, the drum 2 is provided with an opening and the wall of the drum surrounding the opening is provided with an annular reinforcing ring I having a flared outer surface which is adapted to be engaged by the tapered ring portion 8 of a door or closure 9. The ring portion 8 of the door is bulged inwardly to form a substantially spherical portion extending into the drum. The arrangement of the inner door is such that it fits snugly against the reinforcing ring I and, notwithstanding minor irregularities. in alignment, will rotate freely with the drum while the working portion of the door presents a substantially smooth surface with no cracks or crevices in which portions of the goods or fabric' might be caught. I

Afllxed to the door 9 at a point substantially opposite the shaft 6 is a shaft it which is provided at its outer end with a head l2. Surrounding the shaft H is a collar 13 formed integral with a bracket M which extends in a plane perpendicular to the shaft I l and terminates in an angular portion l5 which extends parallel to the flange 5. The angular portion I5 is disposed between lugs 16 and is pivotally mounted upon a pintle ll supported by the lugs. The door 9 is provided at its outer margin with a reinforcing strip l8 which assists in maintaining a tight engaging flt between the tapered portion 8 ofthe door and the bevelled reinforcing strip I surrounding theopenor closure 20, which is provided with a groove ad.-

jacent its inner margin for an annular sealing ring M which is adapted to engage the annular flange or rim 5 when the door is closed. Arms 22 fixed to the outer portion of closure 20 are mounted upon pintles 23 which are loosely supported in apertures formed in'the' outwardly exsupported on the casing l.

Extending outwardly from the annular flange or rim 5 and disposed at opposite sides thereof is a pair of locking projections 29 which are adapted to receive the arms of a bridge 39. Midway between its ends, bridge 30 is provided with an aperture to receive a threaded shaft 3|, the outer end of which is provided with a hand wheel 32, and the inner end of which is provided with a collar 33 which fits in a recess in the outer portion of the door or closure 29. The collar 33 is held in place by an annular plate 35 which is fastened to the closure by any suitable means, such as screws 36.

Inwardly of the collar 33 closure 29 is provided with an aperture the outer portion of which is threaded to receive a plug 31. The plug 31 is adjustable and serves as an abutment for one end of a spring 38, the other end of which bears against the head of a pin 39. The opposite end of pin 39 extends through an opening in a boss 49 extending from the inner portion of closure 20.

In Fig. l of the drawing the closures are shown in dotted lines in their open positions. In opening the closures, hand wheel 32 is first turned to unlock the bridge 39 which is moved out of the locking projections 29 and closure 20 is then swung to the dotted line position. The bracket l4, together with the closure 9, is then swung through the opening formed by the rim 5 to its dotted line position. The goods or fabric to be treated are then placed in the machine, and bracket I4, which supports closure 9,, is swung inwardly within the rim 5 and the tapered portion 8 of closure 9 engages the seat formed by the fiared reinforcing strip 1. Closure 20 is then swung to closed position, the bridge 39 is turned beneath the locking projection 29, and hand wheel 32 is rotated which forces closure 20 firmly upon the rim 5 against the resilient action of sealing strip 2|. When door 20 is closed, the end of pin 39 bears against head 62 of shaft ii and spring 38 yieldingly maintains door 9 in closed position against its seat 7. Since the shaft I l is rotatably mounted in collar 63, it will thus be seen that the closure 9 is rotatably and yieldingly mounted with respect to the outer casing.

From the foregoing specification it will be seen that I have provided an improved door construc-- tion for work treating devices or washing machines which is simple in operation, and by means of which the door for the drum and the door for the casing may be maintained in tightly sealed position and in which the door for the drum is rotatably and yieldingly mounted with respect to the outer casing. It will also be apparent that by simple operations the doors may be readily opened, the work inserted, and as the outer door is brought to closed position the inner door will be automatically forced in yielding position against the closure seat of the drum.

' While I have described my improved door construction as being applied to washing machines tending arms of bifurcated brackets 25 which are or fabric treating devices, it will be understood that it may also be used in drying tumblers or other apparatus having an inner rotatable drum and an outer casing.

To those skilled in the art, many modifications of and widely differing embodiments and applications of my invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. My disclosure and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a stationary casing having an opening, a drum rotatable in the casing having an end opening which registers with the'opening in said casing and which is substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of said drum, a drum closure, a support hinged on the casing and in which said closure is rotatably mounted, and a closure for the casing mounted upon the casing for movement independently of said support, said drum closure when the casing closure is in open position being adapted by movement of its support to swing through the casing opening to or from closed position.

2. Apparatus of the character described in claim 1, provided with yielding means interposed between said closures when both are in closed position for yieldingly holding the drum closure in closed position.

3. Apparatus of the character described in claim 1, in which the casing closure is also hinged to the casing.

4. Apparatus of the character described in I swinging motion of said support, and the axes of said casing closure and support respectively are on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of said drum.

6. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a stationary casing having an opening, a drum rotatable in the casing having an end opening which registers with the opening in the casing and which is substantially concentric with the axis of rotation of said drum, a drum closure movable to and from closed position and in closed position being arranged to rotate with the drum, a casingclosure mounted upon the casing for movement independently of the drum closure, and yielding means between said two closures for yieldingly applying the drum closure to the drum when both closures are in closed position.

7. Apparatus of the character described in claim 6, in which the casing closure is hinged to the casing.

8. Apparatus of the character described in 

